BA in Geosciences

Career Options

PLEASE NOTE: The University of Maine Board of Trustees has eliminated this department. Currently enrolled students with questions should contact the Dean of CSTH for more information.

The B.A. in Geosciences requires a minimum of 53 credits in courses required for the major. Forty-one (41) of these credits are in Geosciences courses and the remainder in Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics. The B.S. degree is similar, but requires more courses in Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics.

Program Requirements

A minimum of 53 credits are required for the B.A. degree and a minimum of 67 credits are required for the B.S. degree (in addition to the University's Core curriculum requirements). The B.A. and B.S. degrees differ only in the chemistry, physics, and mathematics requirements as listed below. Majors planning on obtaining an advanced degree normally, but not necessarily, choose the B.S. Majors must achieve a 2.0 grade point average and grades of C- or better in all geosciences courses.

Geosciences Course Requirements for both B.A. and B.S. degrees:

All majors must complete at least one introductory lecture and lab, to be selected from among the following courses. Note that an additional introductory lecture course may be applied to the major as three elective credits.

In addition to the above, 20 credits of geosciences (GEY prefix) elective courses are required. Three credits of these may be at the 100 level, and the rest must be at the 200 level or higher. Students are encouraged to also explore relevant courses in other departments, depending on their interest. In particular, GIS courses are recommended for those interested in mapping or consulting, and some chemistry and environmental science courses are relevant to environmental consulting and regulation.

Original research is regarded as a significant component of liberal education. The Department encourages Undergraduate Research in Geology (GEY 498) as part of the degree program.